<title>Space-based sensor and target engagement planning for the Midcourse Space Experiment</title>

Abstract

This paper addresses the problem of determining the launch time of a ballistic target to allow a space-based sensor such as the Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) satellite to collect multi- sensor data. The Midcourse Space Experiment addresses many Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) systems issues concerned with surveillance, acquisition, tracking, and target discrimination using infrared, visible, and ultraviolet passive sensors. Targets of interest to BMDO National & Theater Missile Defense (NMD/TMD) programs address issues including missile acquisition against the hard-Earth, high altitude plume signatures, deployment of multiple bodies and pen-aids from a post-boost vehicle, resolved object track and discrimination, bulk filtering for debris, and re-entry viewing. Typical MSX data collection requirements for NMD and TMD experiments are presented along with the concept of a spacecraft feasible region. The NMD experiments use long and intermediate range type targets and the TMD experiments use shorter range type targets. The feasible region is introduced to describe the locus of satellite positions at target burnout that satisfy all data collection requirements over the resulting satellite/target encounter while not exceeding equipment constraints. Daily satellite drift and target launch windows are developed for typical MSX experiments being planned. Methodologies and techniques to be presented apply to any space-based sensor and ballistic target data collection scenario.